Crane cruises in Milwaukee

GOLF - The Beat

July 25, 2005

Notorious dawdler Ben Crane, whose slow play irked Rory Sabbatini at the Booz Allen Classic last month and perturbed his playing partners this week, shot 1-under 69 in sweltering heat Sunday to win the US Bank Championship in Milwaukee by four strokes over Scott Verplank.

Chad Campbell (65) finished five shots back in third, and two-time winner Jeff Sluman (68) was fourth at minus-14.

Crane finished at 20-under 260. He's only the second wire-to-wire winner in Milwaukee and the first at Brown Deer Park, where the tournament has been played for 11 years.

Fasth captures playoff

Niclas Fasth made a 10-foot birdie putt on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff against Angel Cabrera to win the Players' Championship of Europe in Alveslohe, Germany.

The Swede's third European Tour victory came after he birdied three of the last five holes, and Cabrera bogeyed his last to force the playoff. John Daly shot 65 to tie for third with Stephen Gallacher (69).

Mills earns first victory

Canada's Jon Mills won his first Nationwide Tour event, closing with a 1-under 71 for a three-shot victory over Ken Duke at the Canadian PGA Championship in Cambridge, Ontario.

Mills finished at 19-under 269 at Whistle Bear Golf Club. The 27-year-old from Oshawa, Ontario, had a bogey and two birdies in the final round.

Duke had a final-round 68 and finished at 272, followed by Nick Cassini (67) and Erik Compton (68) at 274.